Palstave
A double-looped palstave is a type of Bronze Age axe. This one is very unusual as it was found by archaeologists excavating the remains of a medieval house near Ottery St Mary. The palstave may have been collected as a curio or charm, although the large group of strips and sheet fragments also present suggest that the repair or manufacture of metal vessels may have been practised as a domestic craft, and so the palstave may have been for use as a tool or as scrap.
The palstave is of double-looped form, a feature previously thought to indicate Iberian origin, but which is now considered an uncommon, but wholly native trait. A few other double-looped palstaves are known from the south-west and they probably date to between 1400–1100 BC.
The palstave is of double-looped form, a feature previously thought to indicate Iberian origin, but which is now considered an uncommon, but wholly native trait. A few other double-looped palstaves are known from the south-west and they probably date to between 1400–1100 BC.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 4/2018/9/2/1
- Collection Class
- Devon archaeology
- Collection Area Region
- Northern Europe
- Collector Excavator
- Cotswold Archaeology
- Material
- copper alloy
- Common Name
- palstave
- Simple Name
- palstave
- Period Classification
- Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC); Bronze Age (2600-700 BC); Medieval (1200-1500)
- Production Year Low
- 1400; ; 1200
- Production Year High
- 1100; ; 1300
